Acer Iconia Tab A500 getting its Android 3.1 update

Have an Acer Iconia Tab A500? Have an Acer Iconia Tab A500 that's not running Android 3.1? The wait should be short, as updates are rolling out now. We just got ours, and system update 4.010.08 is weighing in at 122.71 MB. The whole process should take a few minutes, and afterward you'll have the framework for things like Google movies, usb host and a slew of other treats.

So if you've got an Iconia Tab, hit up your system updates and get to downloading. If you're the type who likes to tinker and needs the manual download link, you can find it right here. Thanks, Ritesh!

How to download maps data on Google Maps

One of the more interesting (if less publicized) additions to Google Maps 5.7 is the ability to download map data locally to your phone. That's a godsend if you're traveling somewhere that has a spotty connection, or if you're overseas and trying to avoid roaming charges.

To enable downloading map data, you'll need to go into the Labs section of Google Maps. Hit the menu button, then More, then Labs, and tap on the Download Map Area section, like you see above.

You'll be able to download a 10-mile radius from any point. Hold your finger down on the map or choose a saved location, then tap Download Map Area. It's simple.

Google Maps just got a sizable update, with a slew of new features that those of you in major metro areas are going to want to check out. First and foremost is the addition of Transit Navigation. It's in beta (of course), but gives you directions via public transit in more than 400 cities worldwide, tying it all into turn-by-turn directions.

And speaking of directions, you're getting easier access to the nav button (anyone who's ever used it will be thankful for this). Also, Google Places are easier to get to, and they're better integrated into the search results. Also, photos are now integrated into Places results.

Here are the bullet points you'll see after updating:

Get GPS stop-by-stop public transit directions in Navigation (beta)

Receive search suggestions based on previous direction destinations and visited Place pages

Get directions in fewer clicks with the updated directions experience

Improved battery power management for Navigation (beta)

Browser photos of Place pages in a gallery view

Use the Download Map Area lap to save map areas for offline viewing

Google's demo video and Market links are after the break. Get to updating, everybody!

The Qualcomm roadmap for the next few years has leaked out, putting a time frame on the chips they announced last February. According to the leak, we should expect dual-core LTE, HSPA, and HSPA+ chips clocked anywhere from 1.5 GHz to 1.7 GHz to be in the hands of manufacturers late in Q3 of this year, with the Adreno 225 GPU on board. Come Q3 of next year, we should see the budget version start to make it's way into phones and other connected devices, with a Adreno 305 GPU and a bit lower (1.0-1.2GHz) clock speeds.

The "big deal," and what many are waiting for, are the quad-core Krait systems, complete with an Adreno 320 to push out 1080p video at 60 fps, and clock speeds in the 2 GHz and up range. We won't get to see those until early 2013 though. Of course, this is all subject to change -- if there's anything we all have learned from leaks, it's that they often don't hold true. They will arrive when they arrive, and I think we will love them.

Words with Friends back on Honeycomb, looking better than ever

Admittedly, it's been a few weeks since I last let my wife beat me had my butt kicked at Words with Friends. And in that time, it's disappeared from the Android Market for Honeycomb devices, and reappeared, more stable (hopefully) and better looking than ever.

One thing the update won't do: Keep your younger brother from cheating, or your spouse from beating you the old fashioned way. Regardless, download links are after the break.

Samsung Galaxy Tab's Gingerbread update rolls out today

For all you folks whose Sprint-branded Samsung Galaxy Tabs have been languishing with Froyo for the better part of a year now (since it launched, anyway), your Gingerbread update is coming this week. Sprint's given official word of the update (unofficial word came last week), which begins pushing today. It'll be released in stages, with 100 percent of devices to be updated by the weekend.

Toshiba Thrive popping up in Best Buys early; AC forums member snags one

Word on the street is that the Toshiba Thrive tablet has made its way into a few Best Buy stores over the weekend, ahead of its July 13 shipping date. And, sure enough, Android Central Forums member amana9 has managed to snag one, posting up a few pics as proof.

The Thrive, as you'll recall, is Toshiba's 10.1-inch, dual-core Tegra 2 Honeycomb tablet, available in 8-, 16- or 32-gigabyte models. But the really sexy thing is that it sports a full-size USB port and full-size SD card reader. Of course, that makes for a slightly larger form factor. But judging from our hands-on with the Thrive way back in January (before it was even running Honeycomb), it's definitely worth checking out. Hit up the source link below for more impressions and pics.

Windows 8 UI looks pretty cool on Android tablets [video]

Over the past little while we've seen plenty of portions of the Windows Phone 7 UI land on Android devices. The music player, contacts, app launcher and more have all made their move but now we're getting a look at the Windows 8 live tiles up and running on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 courtesy of the folks over at WP7Android. It's a preview of their upcoming app, WP7Lock with the rest being completed by ADW EX and a lot of time spent in Desktop Visualizer. In any event, it looks pretty cool if you ask us but what do you all think? Sound off in the comments.

HTC Flyer coming to T-Mobile UK this month

After previously launching on Three, the HTC Flyer tablet will be on its way to T-Mobile UK later this month, as indicated by an update on the British network's "coming soon" page. There's no information on any specific release date or price points, but you can probably expect a significant discount on the 3G Flyer's £550+ retail price if you're buying one of these on-contract.

If you're thinking of picking up a Flyer, you can find out more about HTC's 7-inch, pen-toting device by reading our full review.

Flight Track's Honeycomb tablet update now available in the Android Market

We got our first look at Flight Track's Honeycomb tablet update back at Google IO in May. Today, that update's available in the Android Market, and one of our favorite Android travel apps get even better. You've got the same look and feel in the $4.99 app, which has expanded for larger screens, making the mapping features that much better. Tripit support is still there, too, with a $4.99 upgrade. Check out our video and find download links after the break.

Gingerbread update for the Sprint Galaxy Tab coming July 5

Having only recently picked up an original Samsung Galaxy Tab for myself, I can relate to the many users out there that have one and are not currently running Gingerbread on it. Fortunately I was able load Gingerbread on mine after having rooted it but for some -- that's not really an option. Sprint Samsung Galaxy Tab owners though will soon be feeling the love, according to the info above a Gingerbread update is ready to to roll out on July 5 and will bring along Bluetooth HID for the ride.

In other news, the Samsung Transform has an update coming as well that will correct errors users were seeing when updating their PRL. That update is set for the same timeframe.

Opera has released Opera Mobile 11.1. The big strokes are that Google text and autocomplete are improved, the rendering engine should be faster, and there's now experimental support for Adobe Flash on Honeycomb tablets. Here's the full breakdown:

The HP TouchPad review [the competition]

In just a day or so the HP TouchPad will be available in stores, giving hungry webOS fans something to feast on. Today, our pal Derek Kessler at PreCentral.net has unleashed his monster TouchPad Review. The specs are right on target with the rest of the tablet market, including Android, and while it may be a little portly at 1.63 pounds, according to the the folks lucky enough to be holding one, it seems solidly built.

I spent a few minutes reading Derek's in-depth two part review at PreCentral, and while not a webOS fan myself, it looks pretty compelling. It has a few shortcomings, but it also does some things I'd love to see on the Android side -- like the communication with a webOS phone. To wit:

The TouchPad’s not a perfect tablet by any stretch of the imagination. It has its faults, but by and large those are correctable missteps, bugs, or omissions on the software front. While no number of software updates can make the TouchPad thinner, lighter, or sprout a rear-facing camera, the hardware is solid and up to the task of whatever you can throw at it. We didn’t even try to break the TouchPad with a Too Many Cards error – we don’t have the patience to figure out how many apps it takes to reach that 1GB RAM ceiling.

In the end, it looks like everybody but Windows Phone (hi, guys!) is on the right track to provide a great tablet experience to users. Let's hope they get on board soon. Get yourself a cold beverage, and check out Derek's review.

Ubuntu on the Galaxy Tab 10.1

We've seen Ubuntu running on many an Android device, but it's especially interesting when it's on a tablet. Well, add the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 to the list of Android's that are booting up some Linux, as you can see in the video above. It's not the speediest way to use Ubuntu, because it's not a native install (think of it as a virtual machine), but it's really cool and fun to goof around with -- especially in a room full of iPad users.

The best news is that it's not hard to do at all. We've been booting Ubuntu on Android devices for a while, so the methods are pretty well figured out, and you can find an easy to follow guide (including all the needed downloads) at the source link if you feel like giving it a spin. You'll want to dig out a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard, and you'll have to be rooted, but this is a great project with a useful result -- a full desktop OS on a 10.1 inch screen. Give it a shot!

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